Small-Scale Climate Resilience: Social Work Practice in the Age of Climate Change

1. cypher  visit us at cypher-international.org Small-Scale Climate Resilience: Social Work Practice in the Age of Climate Change 25thAnnual Conference of the Network for Social Work Management Simmons College, School of Social Work, Boston, MA June 5-6, 2014 Jim Gilmer, MAjgilmer@cypher-international.org RondineMacadaeg, Esq.rmacadaeg@cypher-international.org Jeff McKenziejmckenzie@cypher-international.org R. Bong Vergara ​rbvergara@cypher-international.org cypher-international.org

2. cypher  visit us at cypher-international.org TOPICS I. Imperatives to advance SOWK by 2020 II. The missing imperative: A vital role in meeting the grand challenge of climate change III. Decyphering ‘meaningful engagement’ and ‘small-scale community-defined’ climate resilience • 3 TAKE-AWAYS • To advance SOWK, we need to define a ‘SOWK 2.0’ that meets the challenge of ‘climate resilience’ (community capacity for climate change adaptation and mitigation) • To achieve ‘SOWK 2.0’ we need targeted improvements in social work education and bold reforms to professional practice • CYPHER’s work in California has lessons for ‘SOWK 2.0’, particularly in ‘meaningful engagement’ and ‘small-scale community-defined’ climate resilience 2 June 5-6, 2014 cypher-international.org

3. cypher  visit us at cypher-international.org I. IMPERATIVES TO ADVANCE SOWK BY 2020 Social entrepreneurship in SOWK education Strengthening collaboration Articulate and communicate professional SOWK skills Promote impact and value in industry and policy Strengthen national advocacy for the profession Integrate leadership training in SOWK education Demonstrate social and economic value of the profession Ensure the sustainability of the profession through active mentorship Increase financial support for students Integrate technology into SOWK practice and education See a full description of the 10 imperatives here: http://www.socialworkers.org/2010congress/documents/2010Imperatives.pdf 3 June 5-6, 2014 cypher-international.org

4. cypher  visit us at cypher-international.org II. THE MISSING IMPERATIVE: A VITAL ROLE IN MEETING THE GRAND CHALLENGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE • Potential Climate Change Health Effects • Heat-Related Morbidity and Mortality • Asthma, Respiratory Allergies, and Airway Diseases • Vectorborne and Zoonotic Diseases • Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke • Weather-Related Morbidity and Mortality • Foodborne Diseases and Nutrition 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 • Waterborne Diseases • Human Developmental Effects • Mental Health and Stress-Related Disorders • Neurological Diseases and Disorders • Cancer 4 June 5-6, 2014 cypher-international.org

5. cypher  visit us at cypher-international.org II. THE MISSING IMPERATIVE: A VITAL ROLE IN MEETING THE GRAND CHALLENGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE On March 1, 2014, Gov. Brown approved a $687.4 Memergency drought relief package. As a result, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released $15 million for community water system solutions Obama announced drought aid for California Onishiand Davenport, The New York Times, Feb. 14, 2014 Fallow acres could lead to $5 billion loss in California Drought forces California farmers to idle cropland Reuters, Ag Professional (Northbrook, Ill.), Feb. 5, 2014 California farmers brace for drought, unemployment Scott Smith, Associated Press, Feb. 2, 2014 5 June 5-6, 2014 cypher-international.org

6. cypher  visit us at cypher-international.org II. THE MISSING IMPERATIVE: A VITAL ROLE IN MEETING THE GRAND CHALLENGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE As a profession, social work has ‘deficit needs’ and ‘being needs’ in meeting the challenge of the climate change reality ‘SOWK 2.0’ Version of profession vital in climate resilience-building: one meaningfully engaged in (i) the three Ps, (ii) training an ‘environmental sustainability’ workforce; (iii) promoting a practice framework for building capacity in vulnerable communities; and (iv) democratizing climate resilience • ‘BEING NEEDS’ • Articulated vision • Professional Role • ‘DEFICIT NEEDS’ • Education/Training • Practice tools 6 June 5-6, 2014 cypher-international.org

7. cypher  visit us at cypher-international.org II. THE MISSING IMPERATIVE: A VITAL ROLE IN MEETING THE GRAND CHALLENGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE DEFICIT NEEDS: Education/Training, Practice tools Micro practice Macro practice Mezzo practice • Organizations • Communities • Policy/Advocacy • Family • Kin relations • Work/School • Individuals • Domestic unit • Small groups • Research (i) training an ‘environmental sustainability’ workforce; (ii) promoting a practice framework for building capacity in vulnerable communities; and (iii) democratizing climate resilience Vergara, Fall 2013 cypher-international.org

8. cypher 1. Paradigm: shiftourbasic set of assumptions and beliefs we bring to a situation climate change impacts overall quality of life, human health, community wellness, economy health policy = climate policy2. Practice Role: shift nature of the social worker-client relationship climate change impacts our professional scope of work; we need to be where our clients are: be meaningfully engaged in environmental justice and environmental sustainability3. Practice Techniques: shift actions that social workers take to facilitate change climate change requires us to have the right tools to be responsive to its system impacts  visit us at cypher-international.org II. THE MISSING IMPERATIVE: A VITAL ROLE IN MEETING THE GRAND CHALLENGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE BEING NEEDS:Articulated vision, Professional Role (3 Ps) 8 Vergara, Fall 2013 cypher-international.org 8

9. cypher  visit us at cypher-international.org SO WHAT? 9 Vergara, Fall 2013 cypher-international.org 9

10. cypher  visit us at cypher-international.org III. DECYPHERING ‘MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT’ AND ‘SMALL-SCALE COMMUNITY-DEFINED’ CLIMATE RESILIENCE ‘SOWK 2.0’ Version of profession vital in climate resilience ‘Meaningful engagement’ ‘Grassroots to grasstops’ partnership beyond collaboration and consultation ‘Small-scale community-defined solutions’ Solution-making (a) scaled for local climate resilience, (b) informed by grassroot priorities and strengths, and (c) supported by grasstop resources 10 Vergara, Fall 2013 cypher-international.org 10

11. cypher  visit us at cypher-international.org III. DECYPHERING ‘MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT’ AND ‘SMALL-SCALE COMMUNITY-DEFINED’ CLIMATE RESILIENCE ‘Meaningful engagement’ ‘Grassroots to grasstops’ partnership beyond collaboration and consultation Direct Action / Community Organizing Self-help/ ‘Social business’ Service design/ delivery Advocacy/ Policy-making Education/ Research The grassroots are authentic partners and decision-makers – not just clients --across the climate resilience-building and ‘solution-making’ continuum. 11 Vergara, Fall 2013 cypher-international.org 11

12. cypher  visit us at cypher-international.org III. DECYPHERING ‘MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT’ AND ‘SMALL-SCALE COMMUNITY-DEFINED’ CLIMATE RESILIENCE ‘Small-scale community-defined solutions’ Solution-making (a) scaled for local climate resilience, (b) informed by grassroot priorities and strengths, and (c) supported by grasstop resources • Small-scale democratic processes can provide a mechanism to find sustainable solutions that spread benefits much more evenly across communities. • A new approach for ‘sustainability’ and positive social action premise on democratic small-scale interventions, which simultaneously empowers communities and ameliorates climate vulnerability. 12 Vergara, Fall 2013 cypher-international.org 12

13. cypher  visit us at cypher-international.org III. DECYPHERING ‘MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT’ AND ‘SMALL-SCALE COMMUNITY-DEFINED’ CLIMATE RESILIENCE ‘Meaningful engagement’ ‘Small-scale community-defined solutions’ The key is meaningful youth engagement • tendency to ‘think-outside-the-box’ and advocate for non-conventional strategies in community wellness, pollution reduction, and environmental resource management • strategically-positioned because of their context is full of scientific vitality, technological innovation, and bold policy dialogue • they influence the behavior of their peers; in vulnerable minority communities, they shape public opinion in a way that cuts through the barriers of professional language and culture 13 Vergara, Fall 2013 cypher-international.org 13

14. cypher  visit us at cypher-international.org III. DECYPHERING ‘MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT’ AND ‘SMALL-SCALE COMMUNITY-DEFINED’ CLIMATE RESILIENCE Hybrid STEAM CYPHER Fellows Program ‘Sustainable Earth Decathlon’ (SED) 14 Vergara, Fall 2013 cypher-international.org 14

15. cypher  visit us at cypher-international.org III. DECYPHERING ‘MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT’ AND ‘SMALL-SCALE COMMUNITY-DEFINED’ CLIMATE RESILIENCE CYPHER Fellows Program Goal: To (a) enable the youth to be 'meaningfully engaged' in climate resilience and health equity, and (b) facilitate the empowerment and climate resilience-building self-efficacy among vulnerable youth. Process Objective:Toplace Fellows in professional settings with direct opportunities for policy advocacy, applied research, and education training in Health Equity and Climate Resilience. Outcome Objective: The activities of Fellows will be used to build up a cache of original community-based research, policy proposals, and community education video materials on climate resilience and health equity solutions/needs/vulnerability assessment. 15 Vergara, Fall 2013 cypher-international.org 15

16. cypher  visit us at cypher-international.org III. DECYPHERING ‘MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT’ AND ‘SMALL-SCALE COMMUNITY-DEFINED’ CLIMATE RESILIENCE ‘Sustainable Earth Decathlon’ (SED) Goal: To (a) enable the youth to be 'meaningfully engaged' in climate resilience and health equity, and (b) facilitate the discovery of innovative, ‘community-defined’ technology-enabled solutions to environmental sustainability. Process Objective: To recruit teams from approximately twenty community colleges and universities across the City of L.A. to compete and show their “outside the box” solutions to the intersection between climate change and health disparities. Outcome Objective: To build bold ‘self-belief’ and ‘self-efficacy’ in the youth as measured by successful pursuit of community impact, and technological or conceptual innovation. 16 Vergara, Fall 2013 cypher-international.org 16

17. cypher  visit us at cypher-international.org III. DECYPHERING ‘MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT’ AND ‘SMALL-SCALE COMMUNITY-DEFINED’ CLIMATE RESILIENCE Hybrid STEAM Goal: To engage and motivate students, faculty, and key constituencies in Ventura County in innovative solution-making on local manifestations of the overlap between climate change and health disparity already being felt across the Southern California region. Process Objective: To identify and develop student-focused project-based activities and to cultivate analytical and creative thinking through an integrated classroom and field practicum model. Outcome Objectives:To facilitate increased experiential learning and greater engagement in targeted subject areas; cross-discipline STEM and Liberal Studies integration; increased student retention in targeted courses/projects; increased career awareness and networking with community and industry partners; and promote critical-thinking skills through divergent-analytical thinking and project-based learning activities. 17 Vergara, Fall 2013 cypher-international.org 17

18. cypher  visit us at cypher-international.org ENDNOTES 1. FrumkinH, Hess J, and Vindigni S. Peak petroleum and public health. JAMA. 298:1688-1690, 2007. 2. FrumkinH, Hess J, Luber G, Malilay J, and McGeehin M. Climate change: the public health response. Am J Public Health. 98:435-445, 2008. 3. LuberG, and Hess J. Climate change and human health in the United States. J of Env Health. 70(5):43-44, 2007. 4. PatzJA, McGeehin M, Bernard SM, Ebie KL, Epstein PR, Grambsch A, Gubler DJ, Reiter P, Romieu I, Rose JB, Samet JM, Trtang J. The potential health impacts of climate variability and change for the US. EnvHlth Pers. 108 (4): 36-54, 2000. 5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Climate and Health: Health effects. http://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/effects/, 2009. 18 June 5-6, 2014 cypher-international.org

19. cypher  visit us at cypher-international.org Visitcypher-international.org Jim Gilmer, MA ​Dir., Community & GovtRelationsjgilmer@cypher-international.org RondineMacadaeg, Esq. ​General Counsel/Dir., Strategic Initiativesrmacadaeg@cypher-international.org Jeff McKenzie Dir., Investor Relationsjmckenzie@cypher-international.org R. Bong Vergara ​Director rbvergara@cypher-international.org 19 June 5-6, 2014 cypher-international.org